Hub cap



March 22, 1927. 1,621,556

Filed Jam 9, 1926 ATTORNEYS i Patented Mar. 2K2,Y 1927.

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.JACOB J.. MITNicK'AND .mensola L. sILvERsrrNn, orv onrcaec, rumors.

` HUB cAP.

Appncauron nea January 9, 1926. serial' No. 80,260.

@urinventionY relates to` improvements in hub odometcrs, and rt consists rn the combinations, constructions, and arrangef' ments. herein described and claimed.

VIn automobiles Which are used'or certain purposes, it has been found that odometers which are attached to the hubs ci vehicles are greatly preferable i to those that are placed on the'instrument board. Thus, vin automobiles which are rented to individuals who drive the cars themselves, it has been found that odometers used on the hubs more nearly indicate the actual mileage than those Which are more accessible and which may be easilytampered with. rlhere is in use a hub odometer in which the odometer is carried by the hub and revolves With it. A connec-` tion between the odometer and the relatively stationary axle causes the operation of the odometer instrument. Even these odometers, although preferable to the instrumentboard type, which, of course are driven through mechanical connection With the wheels, as for instance .by the links oi' a A chain, have certain objections. In the ordi-- nary'form of hub odometer, the outer' end Vis generally formed in the sha-pesci a hub An object of our inventionisto provide a hub odometer in which `the engagement of theouter end with the curbWill not injurel the odometer, or put it out of commission.

Alurther object of our invention is to provide means for fasteningthe hub casing to the Wheel plate so that there is no danger of tampering With the device, thereby 'insuringthe correct reading of the odometer and the proper charge for the use of the car igured on a distance basis. Y

A further object of' our inventionV is to provide a simple device of the type described, having a removable cap which can be made to. match the ordinary hub'caps instead of requiring a special type of end, and `1 which, When removed, will permit the application of the fasteningdevice, vafter which the cap can be again replaced to give to the hub odometer a finished appearance.

Other objects and advantages Will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention Will'be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

@ur invention is illustrated in the accompan-ying drawings, forming part of this ap-v plication, intvhich- Figure l is a side viev7 ci the device,cer' tain portions being shown in section,

Figure 2 -i-s an end view of the device,

and f I l Y VFigure 3 isa detail view showing aportion of the odometer connection. f Y

. In Figure l, We have shown av portion 'of the Wheel plate 3, the housing 4 for the shaft 5, and the threaded end 6 of they shaft.

.this threaded end is a castle nut 7.

The hub casing 8, as Will be observed, is

screwed to the Wheel plate,"as shown at 9..

The hub casing is slotted preferably` at i equidistant points,. these Islots Lbeing indicated at 10, s-ee Figure 2, for a'purpose hereinafter described. i

The lopposite end olf the; hubcasing vhas a reduced threaded portion 1l. The interior of this.. portion contains the odometer*y 12. Ve have merely Ishown the vcasingoi' lthis odometer. The odometer shaft, which is indicatedin dotted lines .at 13, has aguide yoke 14., the'ends offvvhich are slotted, as

shown in Figure'3,fto receive projections y 15 of a plate 16. which has ears or lugs 17 arranged to enter in the slots 78L of the 'castle nut 7 A spiral spring 1.8 keeps the lugsl at all times` Within the lslots 7 *1. It Willbe understoodtthat the casing12 is firmly secured to thehub casing 8y to'revol-ve with the casing, so that as the odometer casing revolves,

While'the end of the shaft and the nut .7 are goes, the indicating mechanism Will-be actu- Y relatively stationary, as fares revolution ated.1 The particulartype of odometer and its particular connection to the shaft formsno feature o'ly the present invention, having been used before. The particular features of novelty of -the present invention lie in providing the outer end of the hub With the reduced threaded `portion 1l to Which a cap' 19 is secured, thisv cap being .so fashioned as to Jform a hollow interior ,2O about the threaded portion 11,.

lThe hub casing 1 plate,v as stated, by screwing it thereto. The

s fastened to. the Wheel Y 2l having a shoulder 22 arranged to engage a shoulder on the hub casing so as to lbring the ring 21 and the particular part of the hub casing on which it fits into alignment.

' rl`his ring 21 is made slightly smaller than the hub portion on which it fits and it is driven on from the outer end. ln so doing, it crowds the threaded sections between the slots l() closer together and causes them to grip the threaded end of the wheel plate so that `there is very little liability oi anyone tampering` with the dovice,.since it is almost impossible .tor one to see how this connection is made. Y

It is vot' course necessary to take off the cap 19in order toslip on the ring 21. After the ring has been forced into place to lock the hub casing on the wheel plate, the cap 2O is replaced, thereby `giving the hub the ordinary finished appearance.

With hub odometers, as they are now made, the outer ends torni part of the hub casing and are solid, and Vfor different cars, different Yends must be used. In the present instance, it is obvious that a cap of any suitable shape mightbe used in lieu of the hexagonal cap shown in VFigure 2. All of these caps, however, have the space 2O between the cap and the end of the threaded portion l1. Now, when the car runs against theV curb, the capy portion mayy be dented, but the hub casing will not come loose from its connection to the wheel plate, nor will the odometer be injured because of the fact that the cap is hollow and the giving of the hollow shell prevents injury to the odometer or the wrenching or" the casing from its connectionv to thewheel plate. The'fact that the cap is removable provides means for easily slipy Dino' on the locking rin@ 2l or for takin@r it 1 2 5 H #-3 7 C) oil in case it should be desired to remove the hub casing from the wheel plate.

le claim: Y

1. The combination of a hub caprneans at one end for securing said hub cap toa wheel plate, anda relatively thin intal shell secured to the hub casing at the opposite end, a portion or"v said shell being spaced from the side walls of said casing.

2. Theconibination of ahubicasing having a threaded outer end, and a cap arranged to be screwed to said threaded end, said cap Vconsisting of a shell having a portion thereof spaced from the endof the outer side wall of said hub casing. Y

3. The combination of a hub casing having an interiorly threaded portion at one end arranged to be secured to a wheel plate, said threadedfend being slotted, and a friction ring having' an internal diameter slightly less than the Vexternal diameter of the slotted portion of the hub casing, and adapted to be driven onto the'slotted portion of theV hub casing, whereby the latter will be caused to grip the wheel plate'.

il. The combination with a wheel plate having a threaded portion, of ahub casing, threaded at one end to engage the threaded portion ot' the wheel plate, said end being slotted, the opposite rend of the hub casing having a reduced threaded portion, a friction ring adapted to slip over the reduced threaded portionV and the exterior or" the hub casing, said friction ring being of a slightlyless diameter than the exterior portion ot' the slotted end of the hub casing, whereby the latter is contracted when the friction ring is driven onto the slotted end, and a cap removably secured to the reducedthreaded end of the hub casing. Y i A 5. VThe combination with a wheel plate having a threaded portion, of a hub casing, threaded at one end to engage the threaded portion of the wheel plate, said end being slotted,V the opposite end of the hub casing having a reduced threaded portion,v a friction ring adapted to slip over the reduced threaded portion and the exterior of the hub casing, said friction ring being of a slightly less diameter than the exterior' portion of the slotted end of the hub casing, whereby the latter vis contracted when the friction ring is driven onto the slotted end, and a cap removably secured to Athe Vreduced threaded end of the hub casing, said cap having a portion spaced from the sidewall ot ksaid reduced threaded portion. 

